Not long after Martin Short jokes less than minutes into “You Had to Be There” that a documentary would be a “dumb idea,” given that no footage of the 1971 production of “Godspell” in Toronto that he starred in is thought to exist, the answer to the most pressing question facing director Nick Davis is answered immediately when a parade of Short’s co-stars including Victor Garber, Andrea Martin, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, among others, start relating the history of the show that launched their careers in show business as if they were just getting their big break all over again now. It also turns out that a lack of footage on the production is hardly an issue when Short had a habit of recording audio, not only of the production itself, but of the after parties at the house he shared with Levy where many of the Canadians that would form the future casts of Saturday Night Live and SCTV would hang out and improvise, making what’s left to the imagination better than anything that could’ve been confirmed with any piece of archival film.
In fact, “You Had to Be There” has more than what anyone would dare to dream to know about this unexpectedly key event in pop culture and comedy when friends of friends convened for auditions for the musical that launched future “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz to stardom in his twenties and ultimately had a whole constellation line up behind him. Actual evidence of the production might be sparse, but Davis’s has animation, both in the form of fun ‘70s-style cartoon recreations and a cast and crew that speak with infectious enthusiasm about their experience, as well as a treasure trove of tapes that Short has kept over the years, from the time he was singing Sinatra standards in his basement as a 15-year-old in Hamilton, Ontario to any cast and crew gatherings where the likes of Gilda Radner and musical director Paul Shaffer can be heard riffing. Although it wisely refrains from trying too hard to explain how such an extraordinary collection of talent ended up in one place at one time chalking it up to a cosmic event, the film does offer a breezy overview of the conditions in Toronto that bred a unique brand of humor coming out of an era of conservatism and the friendships that led to everyone in the burgeoning creative community to circle a Masonic Temple for “Godspell” tryouts.
When so many people became massively famous out of the production that was a hit from its opening night, Davis is smart to consider how everyone didn’t have the same career path – even after all the doors opened for his professional dreams, Short hesitated to join most of his “Godspell” cast mates on SCTV when he didn’t want to be pigeonholed as a comedian and stars Jayne Eastwood and Valda Aviks may not have become household names, but found success on their own terms. (You also might not know Shaffer if Avril Chown hadn’t brought him along to accompany her audition on the piano and her ultimate disillusionment with showbiz because of bad experiences after “Godspell” becomes a compelling part of the story.)
The film can feel slightly scattershot in collecting an overabundance of juicy tidbits that Davis surely felt duty-bound to include, making it a luxury but not a necessity to include outside voices such as Gary Gulman and Heidi Gardner talk about the ongoing inspiration of the amazing cast and having a number of satisfying endings to choose from, running the risk of taking one curtain call too many. However, when it’s clear that the participants want to keep the good times rolling and their legacy is shown to be going so strong, you want the show to go on for as long as possible and “You Had to Be There” warmly welcomes you right into the party.
“You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution…” will screen again at the Toronto Film Festival on September 12th at 9:30 pm at the Scotiabank.